Fort Pierce: Brightline wants to build station, hotel at H.D. King site downtown

A timeline of the Florida East Coast Railway tracks through the Treasure Coast. LISA BROADT/TCPALM
Wochit

Buy Photo

A Brightline train is seen Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, in Boynton Beach. Brightline is looking at the H.D. King site by the waterfront in Fort Pierce as a possible local stop, City Manager Nick Mimms said.(Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)Buy Photo

Brightline on Aug. 27 asked officials in Fort Pierce, Sebastian, Stuart and Vero Beach to submit proposals within 60 days showing viable station locations and community support.

A Fort Pierce station could be located across from the main H.D. King site, on the west side of Second Street on land now used for overflow parking, Mimms told the commission Tuesday.

Vero Beach officials already have said they're uninterested in a Brightline station, Sebastian is undecided and Stuart continues its opposition to Brightline service altogether.

Brightline spokeswoman Ali Soule on Wednesday declined to discuss details of any talks with Fort Pierce officials and of any plans Brightline and its parent company, All Aboard Florida, have for the H.D. King property.

In Miami, Brightline's MiamiCentral development includes office towers and high-rise apartments. In Fort Lauderdale, plans were announced in July for a 14-story office tower near the station. And in West Palm Beach, a 24-story apartment tower is being built as part of the station project.

The Fort Pierce City Commission took no vote but gave consensus for Mimms to submit a proposal.

“Let them know that we are interested but we won’t be easy,” Mayor Linda Hudson said.

Fort Pierce will seek support for a local station from Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie County officials; the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County; and the Tourism Development Council of St. Lucie County, Mimms said.

Fort Pierce's stance on Brightline — in comparison to that of its neighbors — may benefit the city, Commissioner Tom Perona said. The city never joined Indian River and Martin counties in their ongoing effort to stop the expansion of Brightline through the Treasure Coast.

Brightline already is running service between Miami and West Palm Beach. The railroad has obtained all the necessary government approvals for its phase 2 — from West Palm Beach, through the Treasure Coast and on to Orlando International Airport.

That phase 2 construction should begin within months, Brightline President Patrick Goddard told TCPalm in an interview last month, and rail service to Orlando is expected to begin in early 2021.

Brightline already has asked the state to extend its service from Orlando to Tampa.